Rating: Summary: A nice sampler of both what Vertigo and Gaiman have to offer Review: No, it's not another damn book about the Endless, and for that, I'm glad. (They're enjoyable, but enough is enough is enough already.)Instead, this time around, we get mostly juvenalia from Gaiman, at least as far as his DC/Vertigo career is concerned. As with much of his work, they're all played in minor key, but they fit in well with the established ongoing series from which they draw. The "Swamp Thing" pieces don't equal the heights to which the series has soared, but they're more user-friendly for new readers and enjoyable in their own right. The "Brother Power, The Geek" story is of middling interest, although it's amusing to see how Gaiman intertwines it with the "Swamp Thing" mythos. The "Hellblazer" story proves that John Constantine's best stories are about sorrow, loss and fear, not demonic hosts and abominations both mortal and otherwise (although they certainly are fun). And, for those who can't live without a pasty-faced member of the Endless slouching through, "Sandman Midnight Theater" (a collaboration with the incomparable Matt Wagner) forms a nice bridge between "Sandman" and "Sandman Mystery Theater." This is a glimpse into a world of magic that can be just as mundane as the "ordinary" world. Worth buying for those very familiar or very new to the DC/Vertigo line of books, especially the main branch that split off from DC Comics as their own shared "universe."
Rating: Summary: There's a reason why they're 'b-sides & Rarities' Review: There's a reason why choice cuts are sometimes relegated to the b-sides & rarities disc and simply put it's because they're not quite up to snuff with the rest of the top-shelf material that most fans are accustomed to. In Neil Gaiman's, 'Midnight Days,' fans are given a chance to take a look at some of Gaiman's somewhat esoteric and forgotten material. Half of the volume is dedicated to short bits that he did for the 'Swamp Thing,' series and for those who are not familiar with Alan Moore's 1980's brilliant steerage of the series these stories will be somewhat difficult to follow and of not much interest. Things do pickup midway through with the reprint of, 'Hold Me,' a one-shot story about John-Constantine, brilliantly illustrated by the always artful Dave McKean. The volume comes to a close with an issue of, 'Sandman Midnight Theater,' with standout paintwork by Teddy Kristiansen that makes up for the weak plotting of the tale. Ultimately, this book can only be recommended to fans of Gaiman who are interested in seeing some of his earlier and more experimental work. Newcomers would be better off starting off with the 'Sandman' series and branching off thereafter.
Rating: Summary: There's a reason why they're 'b-sides & Rarities' Review: There's a reason why choice cuts are sometimes relegated to the b-sides & rarities disc and simply put it's because they're not quite up to snuff with the rest of the top-shelf material that most fans are accustomed to. In Neil Gaiman's, 'Midnight Days,' fans are given a chance to take a look at some of Gaiman's somewhat esoteric and forgotten material. Half of the volume is dedicated to short bits that he did for the 'Swamp Thing,' series and for those who are not familiar with Alan Moore's 1980's brilliant steerage of the series these stories will be somewhat difficult to follow and of not much interest. Things do pickup midway through with the reprint of, 'Hold Me,' a one-shot story about John-Constantine, brilliantly illustrated by the always artful Dave McKean. The volume comes to a close with an issue of, 'Sandman Midnight Theater,' with standout paintwork by Teddy Kristiansen that makes up for the weak plotting of the tale. Ultimately, this book can only be recommended to fans of Gaiman who are interested in seeing some of his earlier and more experimental work. Newcomers would be better off starting off with the 'Sandman' series and branching off thereafter.
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